


Meet People Where They Are

by punk_rock_yuppie



Series: barisi meet-cutes [3]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Meet-Cute, Nearly canon compliant, Pre-Slash, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 17:36:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10667526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_rock_yuppie/pseuds/punk_rock_yuppie
Summary: Rafael and Sonny are in the same city, at the same conference hall, for two very different reasons.





	Meet People Where They Are

**Author's Note:**

> this idea has been kickin' around my brain for a while. this is nearly canon compliant, but not quite. hope you like it!

Rafael is feeling good. That’s not an exaggeration or anything—he genuinely feels _good_. Relaxed. Easy-going. A week-long conference dedicated to sampling scotch and cigars will do that to a man.

Still, he’s getting dressed _forlornly_ of all things, since today is the last day of the conference. He still dresses sharp, a crisp gray suit accented by a soft pink tie, but there’s a sluggishness in his motions. Tying his tie takes three times as long, and the minutes he spends to make sure everything is packed is honestly upsetting. Checkout isn’t for a few hours, but he likes to be prepared, even if closing his suitcase feels like putting the nail in the coffin of his vacation.

He gives himself a once over in the mirror, then he sighs. All good things must come to an end, he supposes. He double checks that he has his room key as well as everything else he needs, all contained in his briefcase, and sets out for the last day of the conference. Less drinking in in his future today: more cigar samples and fine dining. All the same, he’s looking forward to it.

He steps into the elevator and resolutely doesn’t make eye contact with the costumed man also in the small tin box. Whoever thought it was a good idea to book a scotch- and cigar-sampling event the same week as a comic book convention needs to be fired. It’s been the one drawback of the past six days: seeing people in crazy costumes, having to avoid them, dealing with the extra traffic.

The other man in the elevator—Rafael thinks he might be a superhero, or something—is humming idly and bouncing on the balls of his feet. He’s far too cheery, and Rafael can’t help but stare out the corner of his eyes.

“You in town for the cigar thing?”

It takes Rafael an embarrassingly long time to realize the man is talking to him. He clears his throat, and nods. “Ah, yes. I take it you’re in town for the comic book convention?”

The man beams and laughs. “What gave me away?” He looks down at his outfit, plucks at the cowl around his neck.

Rafael forces a polite smile and a jerky nod. He looks away, hoping to convey that the conversation is over.

“Sucks though, huh? It bein’ over and everything. I swear I could spend years at these things and never get bored.”

Rafael is inclined to agree, in a way. He hums noncommittally.

The man doesn’t relent. “What do you gotta go back to? Sharp dresser like you I figure you deal with bigwig stuff like this all the time, huh?”

“I’m an assistant district attorney, so, yes.” Rafael’s answer is clipped, but does nothing to deter the other man. And good lord, how long is this elevator ride?

“Ah, yeah, I know how that goes.”

Now, Rafael’s attention is captured. He raises a clearly disbelieving eyebrow at the man—who, predictably, laughs.

“M’a cop at Manhattan SVU, so. I don’t deal with the blowhards directly, but I see ‘em from time to time. I’ve seen my Sarge deal with ‘em too, heard her moan and groan after.” He shrugs. “Not that bein’ a blowhard is a bad thing, just a different kinda scene than being a detective, you know?” He adds it almost hastily, nervously.

Rafael blinks owlishly at the man. The man, who is in a skin tight red suit, a cowl bunched down around his neck. The man with bright blue eyes and dimples that never cease.

“You work for Manhattan SVU?” Rafael asks slowly.

The man nods eagerly. “Been there about six months! It’s pretty great. I bounced around a lot, before this. But I think I finally found my footin’, hoping to be with them for a good long while.”

Rafael is speaking, low and sharp, before he can reconsider. “I suppose we’ll be seeing quite a lot of each other, then.”

It takes a few moments for the words to sink in. The man turns to Rafael in surprise, but rather than the chilly horror trickling through Rafael’s veins, the man is just all smiles.

“What? No way! You’re the new ADA transferrin’ from Brooklyn? You gotta be shitting me!”

Rafael barely bites back a laugh. “I assure you, I’m not.” He reigns in a sigh, too, and then extends his free hand. “Rafael—?”

“Barba, yeah! Liv’s been talking about you nonstop since we found out.” The man hurries to return the handshake. “M’Dominick Carisi Jr., but call me Sonny.”

Rafael ‘ah’s quietly. “Does anyone else call you that?” He asks skeptically. The handshake breaks and Carisi rubs at the back of his neck awkwardly.

Then, he shakes his head. “Nah, keep askin’ them to, but no takers yet.”

Rafael doesn’t comment. “Who are you supposed to be, exactly?”

“What?” Carisi looks offended. “I’m the Flash! Barry Allen! C’mon, Barba, don’t tell me you’re a Marvel guy. I can’t handle that kind of tension in the workplace.”

“I—I have no idea.”

“Oh, oh that’s good then. Better you don’t know than try and tell me you like Quicksilver better.”

“What on Earth are you talking about?” Finally the elevator _dings_ , freeing them from the confines. Rafael and Carisi fall in step together, away from the elevators to the front doors, eventually in the direction of the conference center.

“Superheros! Marvel versus DC, c’mon! I mean, okay, I like ‘em both. Captain America is my jam. But Flash is way better than Quicksilver. Haven’t you ever seen a Batman movie, or the Avengers movies?”

Rafael levels Carisi with a hard gaze.

“Okay, that’s a no. I’ll have to change that, since we’ll be seein’ plenty of each other.” Carisi seems so sure, so easily certain that he’s going to rope Rafael into some movie nights, it’s a little staggering. “I should let you get to your thing, I’ve got a photoshoot to get to anyway.” Despite his words, both men stop at the corner and stare at one another. “See you tomorrow, I guess, huh?”  Carisi adds with a laugh.

Rafael stares at those dimples. “I suppose you will, Sonny.” He allows a small, rare smile and is rewarded with a grin that’s all teeth, flushed cheeks, radiating happiness.

“Till next time, counselor!” And just like that, Carisi is off, jogging along with other convention goers and bleeding into the crowd.

Rafael watches until he entirely loses sight of that mop of brown hair, then retrieves his phone from his jacket pocket.

 **To: Olivia**  
_**9:47am**  
__Is there a reason you failed to mention that one of your detectives is entirely my type?_

**From: Olivia**  
_**9:51am**  
__And ruin the surprise? It’s like you don’t even know me._

**Author's Note:**

> imagine if this happened in canon? i can see it so clearly, it'd be a riot honestly


End file.
